Two Alabama players that have dealt with injuries this preseason will be game-time decisions for the Crimson Tide’s season opener against Miami on Saturday, head coach Nick Saban said.
“I always ask a player, regardless of what the training staff tells me, ‘Can you play? Can you go out there and do your job the way you think you’re able to do it?’” Saban said on his radio show on Thursday. “I don’t know if some of these players are to that point that they would be able to do that. LaBryan Ray has practiced some, DeMarcco Hellams has practiced some. Are they ready to go out there and play in the game? That’ll be a game-time decision.”
Hellams sustained an ankle injury during fall camp and just started running on Monday, Saban said to begin the week. The head coach ruled the junior safety as questionable for the matchup against the Hurricanes. Hellams was listed as a co-starter at free safety on Alabama’s depth chart along with sophomore Brian Branch, who would likely start if Hellams can’t.
Ray missed a large chunk of the preseason with a “pretty significant” groin injury but was able to recently return to practice. Earlier this week, Saban said the co-backup at defensive end would be available for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta after missing six games in 2020.
Those are the only two players Saban mentioned as dealing with injuries prior to the first game of the 2021 season, and they both play on the defensive side of the ball. The Crimson Tide will field a defense that returns eight starters from its title-winning team from a year ago.
“We’ve got a little more experience on defense coming back,” Saban said. “I think we have eight starters. Henry To’o To’o is just like having a starter because he played in the same system at Tennessee, so it’s been an easy transition for him at the (inside linebacker) position. We have a couple guys that are banged up right now that were starters last year that we’ll be anxious to get back, and I think they’ll be back fairly quickly. But we’ve got good enough experience.”
Another player returning from an injury is running back Trey Sanders. The redshirt sophomore missed nine games due to a hip injury he suffered during a car accident last year but has been able to practice and participate in Alabama’s preseason scrimmages with no limitations. While Saban has praised the entire position, he spoke very highly of Sanders on Thursday.
“The one guy that I’ve been really impressed with is Trey Sanders,” Saban said. “This guy, since he’s been here, has gone through two seasons. The first season, he was gonna play. He was a backup runner, he was gonna play, had a very bright future. Gets a Lisfranc in his foot, which puts him out for the year. Then he’s playing some last year, just coming back and coming along, and he gets T-boned in a car accident when his brother’s driving when he’s home. This guy had a broken hip. I mean, he had a lot to overcome, and he’s really worked his tail off.
“There would be nobody on our team that I would be more happy to see have success because he’s getting very close to being 100 percent. The other guys might be a touch ahead of him right now because he’s just getting back to 100 percent, but I’m anxious to see him get back in action and see how he does. It’ll be great, and our fan appreciate it because this guy has really had to go through a lot to get back on the field.”
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